Rivers flubs her way through Emmys preshow

Love her or hate her, at this point award shows wouldn't be the same without Joan Rivers showing off her latest cosmetic surgery, assessing the final product developed by the stars' stylists and showing her vast ignorance about the industry she is covering.

Sunday night was no different as Rivers and her daughter Melissa were positioned at opposite ends of the red carpet for the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Show as correspondents for E! Entertainment Television.

The senior Rivers got off to a rolling start when she announced that shortly Juliet Mills who was nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a drama for "The West Wing" would be joining her. As TV writers and fans were scratching their heads and double-checking their nominee ballots, Dule Hill, who was nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a drama for "The West Wing" popped up next to her.

Rivers has also failed to learn that she should always assume her microphone is on at all times. After chatting up "CSI's" George Eads she asked her crew mere minutes later, "Who was the guy who was just here from 'CSI'?" For his part, Eads was exceedingly charming. Rather than answering her inane query of how he managed to get out of Texas and make his way to L.A. with the obvious retort of bus, car or plane, he said he had to leave as he's running from the law.

Rivers changed the subject, unclear as to whether or not he was joking.

She also gushed to "Sex and the City" nominee Kim Cattrall, "I'm telling you off camera that everyone thinks it's you (who's going to win)." Cattrall was polite but also very much aware that the camera was, in fact, on.

Ever blunt, Rivers asked "Saturday Night Live's" Tina Fey, "Why are you here?" Even though Fey told her that she was presenting an award with "Weekend Update" co-anchor Jimmy Fallon, she felt the need to ask Fallon the exact same question several minutes later, completely missing his joke about the limo driver being Nick Nolte and telling his date that she looks like "a fabulous cocktail waitress."

While better than her mother, Melissa didn't get away totally unscathed. Greeting Jeri Ryan, she enthused that "Boston Public" is "a big new series for Jeri Ryan."